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Bharti Airtel Records AGR Gain in Q4 FY21 While Jio, Vi See a Fall
Reliance Jio Spectrum In 800-900 MHz Band Troubling GMRT
Vodafone Idea Survival Crucial for India, Collapse Could Overburden Airtel, Jio
Bharti Airtel Might Be Looking to Increase Network Capacity
5G or 5Gi: Here Is What Indian Smartphone Makers Think
Airtel or Dish TV, Which Company Offers Better Android Box
iPhone 13 Might Be More Expensive Than Apple Planned
OnePlus Offering Free Battery Replacement In India
BSNL Offering One Free Bharat Air Fiber Connection
Reliance Jio Going All-In On Smartphone Business
Airtel, Jio, BSNL Broadband Plans for Heavy Data Users
TRAI Suggests Licensing Framework for Satellite Based Connectivity

Bharti Airtel Records AGR Gain in Q4 FY21 While Jio, Vi See a Fall

Posted: 27 Aug 2021 11:03 AM PDT

According to the latest data put out by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Bharti Airtel has become the only operator in India to register sequential adjusted gross revenue (AGR) gain in Q4 FY21 or the March quarter of 2021. At the same time, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea (Vi) saw a decline in their AGR Quarter-on-Quarter (QoQ). It is worth noting that overall AGR of the telecom sector saw sequential growth of 2.03% in the March quarter. This happened despite the removal of revenues from the interconnect usage charges (IUC) at the starting of the quarter.

Bharti Airtel Quarterly AGR Up By 15.07%

Bharti Airtel saw its quarterly AGR (adjusted gross revenues) rising by 15.07% to Rs 13,049.44 crore in Q4 FY21. At the same time, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea saw a 4.42% and 6.62% decline in AGR during the same period. Reliance Jio's AGR or revenue from licensed services fell to Rs 16,422.83 crore, while Vodafone Idea's AGR felling to Rs Rs 6,152.25 crore, respectively. The great thing was that the industry's total AGR (adjusted gross revenues) grew 2.03% sequentially to Rs 48,587 crore in Q4 FY21. This wasn't just good news for the sector, but also for the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) which got the opportunity to collect more from the telcos. The DoT took 4.44% more in licensee fees from the telcos, which amounted to Rs 3,979 crore, and the spectrum usage charges (SUC) also rose by 0.19% to Rs 1,540 crore. For the unaware, the telcos pay 8% of their AGR (adjusted gross revenues) annually in the form of licensee fees and also 3% to 5% SUC to the government. As per the TRAI data, the monthly ARPU for the sector grew by 1.9% QoQ to Rs 103.58. The ARPU for the sector is further expected to increase since the telcos are aiming for tariff hikes and have also removed their base plans.

Reliance Jio Spectrum In 800-900 MHz Band Troubling GMRT

Posted: 27 Aug 2021 07:29 AM PDT

Reliance Jio was allocated spectrum in the 800 MHz – 900 MHz frequency band by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). But this spectrum allocation to the telco has been causing major problems to the world's largest telescope known as the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT), operating at meter wavelengths. According to a report from Indian Express, this spectrum allocation by DoT to Jio is causing major problems in carrying out accurate scientific research activities.

DoT's Unchecked Spectrum Allocation to Jio Causing Issues to 30+ Countries

For the unaware, the GMRT is built and operated by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). The telescope operates in the frequency range of 100 MHz to 1500 MHz. On top of this, the GMRT enjoys special access and protection around the 900 MHz spectrum band so that it can carry out astronomy-related activities accurately. Scientists that are involved in the concerned research project told the publication that DoT's allocation of the spectrum in the 800 MHz – 900 MHz band to Reliance Jio is causing problems to the Indian scientific community as well as more than 30 other countries. It is worth noting that Reliance Jio was already operating in the same frequency band for a long time, but the initial interference worth noting started coming in 2016-17. According to the NCRA, the strong interference that Reliance Jio has been causing in the region has permanently damaged a ton of large datasets. The NCRA was promised in 2018 that DoT would find a positive solution for this. But even three years down the line, there's no solution, and the problems still persist. This is a little sad to hear since the scientific communities around the world are counting on the GMRT to publish accurate data that will help them take their research future. But with continuous interruptions from Jio, it doesn't feel like that would happen without the DoT stepping in.

Vodafone Idea Survival Crucial for India, Collapse Could Overburden Airtel, Jio

Posted: 27 Aug 2021 06:53 AM PDT

The telecom market in India will be "falling into duopoly" with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio "sharing the subscriber market share among themselves" if Vodafone Idea does collapse, says Kantipudi Pradeepthi, research analyst at GlobalData. Pradeepthi said that the country till now has the "lower and cheapest mobile data plans around the globe" largely "due to the launch of Jio in 2016." The research analyst at GlobalData believes that "there could be a chance for an increase in tariffs in the mobile plans by these remaining two players" if Vodafone Idea does shut down its operations.

Vodafone Idea Survival Crucial for India

Pradeepthi highlighted that Airtel has already tweaked its postpaid plans for its enterprise users in July. The GlobalData research analyst said that the second largest operator in India also "adjusted offers to retail customers in order to persuade them to upgrade to higher-priced plans." "The primary objective is to improve average revenue per user (ARPU)," Pradeepthi, research analyst, telecoms market data and intelligence at GlobalData, told TelecomTalk in an email interview. "It is crucial for Vi to be in [the] market to maintain healthy competition, availability of options for subscribers to choose from, and avoid duopoly." In mid-August, Vodafone Idea, the third-largest wireless operator in India, announced its first-quarter results, with the operator recording a 4.7% decline in its quarter-on-quarter revenues. Ravinder Takkar, chief executive officer at Vodafone Idea in the first-quarter earnings call, said that the operator has continued to "remain in active discussions with potential investors" for fundraising. Additionally, Takkar also said that the hike in tariffs "remains critical to revive the sector" and that the floor pricing is "critical and necessary to improve the overall health of the industry." Crucially, the CEO at Vodafone Idea highlighted that its 4G coverage has "already crossed the benchmark of 1 billion Indians" in the past year. "The fallout of Vi could overburden Airtel and Jio," Pradeepthi said. "There is a higher chance towards Airtel as Jio has only 4G infrastructure. We believe that there could be a possibility of additional investment by these two players to expand the Indian telecom infrastructure for accommodating Vi customers."

JioPhone Next to Accelerate Switch to Smartphones

GlobalData, in a report in late April, said that the mobile data service revenue is set to record a 14.7% compound annual growth rate between 2020 to 2025. The data and analytics company said that the mobile data service revenues are "expected" to increase from US$6.3 billion in 2020 to US$12.5 billion in 2025. GlobalData highlighted that the increase in mobile data service revenue would largely be "driven by the continued rise in smartphone subscriptions and the subsequent surge in mobile data consumption." With Jio scheduled to launch its JioPhone Next in early September, Pradeepthi said that the operator would release its smartphone with "free data plans" to "undercut the competition." "We believe that the strategy will hasten the transition from feature phones to smartphones, allowing more Indians to access the internet," Pradeepthi said. According to the report released by GlobalData in April, the penetration of mobile internet subscriptions will rise from an "estimated" 47.3% in 2020 to 81.4% by the end of 2025. The firm said that the increase is due to the "heavy investment in telecom network development across remote areas in the country." It was also said that Reliance Jio would "retain its leading position through 2025" and that the 2G subscription share will decline to 3.5% by the end of 2025 from 36.5% in 2020. "With regard to 2G network, Airtel maintains that 2G services have been generating significant revenues, and it does not plan to shut down its 2G networks in the near future," Pradeepthi said. "However, the transition of 2G users to 4G services will definitely gain momentum with the availability of affordable 4G smartphones." Additionally, the report said that the monthly data usage on average would rise from 9.2GB in 2020 to 14.7GB in 2025. The firm said that the increase in the monthly data usage would be driven by the "consumption of bandwidth-heavy services like mobile video and social media on the mobile network." "With the impending launch of the low-cost smartphone, Jio is expecting to trigger the upgradation of India's over 400 million 2G users to 4G network, especially in rural areas where Jio has already been investing in the expansion of 4G network coverage," Pradeepthi said.

Bharti Airtel Might Be Looking to Increase Network Capacity

Posted: 27 Aug 2021 06:00 AM PDT

Bharti Airtel might be looking to invest in its 4G networks to increase capacity for adding Vodafone Idea (Vi) subscribers. In a note, Jefferies said that Bharti Airtel's fundraising plans might be in line with purchasing the spectrum from Vi at distressed rates or to invest and to invest on network capacity for giving Vodafone Idea subscribers a home. As per the analyst, there's no urgent need for the telco to raise capital. That is actually true. Even though Airtel has to make spectrum payments and adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues, the due date of the payments is still quite far, and the telco isn't in need of huge amounts of urgent cash.

Bharti Airtel Might be Raising Cash for This Reason

The reason why Bharti Airtel might be raising cash is to have enough in the bank to ensure its networks can be upgraded in time to add all the new users. Further, the telco can bank on Vi's desperate situation of cash requirements and purchase spectrum from the company at distressed valuations. Bharti Airtel is already cash-flow positive and making profits. The telco is just aware of the fact that it can make good use of the extra money in the bank account to compete heavily with Jio. According to Jefferies, Vodafone Idea customers have already started joining the networks of Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. As per the data shared by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), there were 12.27 million MNP (Mobile Number Portability) requests made in June 2021. Since Vi lost a lot of subscribers and Airtel and Jio added a ton, it is only clear that Vi's subscribers have started porting to the networks of other private operators. Bharti Airtel might be anticipating a ton of 2G subscribers' addition in case Vi goes out of the market. Further, the deteriorating image of Vi is helping Airtel and Jio add even more customers.

5G or 5Gi: Here Is What Indian Smartphone Makers Think

Posted: 27 Aug 2021 05:00 AM PDT

Indian smartphone makers are worried about 5Gi becoming the norm of connectivity in the country. According to the smartphone manufacturers, 5Gi would render all the gains that the companies have made so far useless. According to an ET Telecom report, the entire mobile industry will be affected severely if 5Gi is made the standard mode of connectivity in India. Further, it would harm the initiatives of the government to motivate companies to manufacture within India.

Indian Telcos Have Expressed Concerns Over 5Gi As Well

The Indian Telecom operators have also shared their concern over the use of the 5Gi standard developed by the TSDSI over the 5G standard of 3GPP. The main concern is the rise in costs of smartphones, services, and most importantly, isolation from the global standards. If India goes ahead with the 5Gi technology, the smartphone makers will have to change a few things in the manufacturing process to suit the needs of 5Gi. Thus, they will have to specially manufacture for the Indian market. The smartphone companies won't be able to export the 5Gi supportive smartphones out of the Indian market because the rest of the world will be using the 5G standard developed by the 3GPP. This will increase the costs of the smartphone in India by a huge margin. Further, when Indians go to other countries where the 5G networks support the 3GPP 5G standard, it would cause issues with connectivity. The operators have including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and other foreign vendors have expressed their fear of making the 5Gi standard the norm in India. 5Gi is a risky technology and should not be adopted if it doesn't have any clear advantage over the 5G standard developed by the 3GPP. The good thing is there is still a lot of time left before live commercial 5G networks arrive in India and until then, the government can decide which standard is better for the country.

Airtel or Dish TV, Which Company Offers Better Android Box

Posted: 27 Aug 2021 03:11 AM PDT

Bharti Airtel and Dish TV are two prominent Direct-to-Home (DTH) operators in India. Bharti Airtel provides DTH service under the brand Airtel Digital TV. Both the companies offer users an Android Set-Top Box (STB). Airtel calls its Android STB "Xstream Box" while Dish TV calls it "dishSMRT HUB". Both the companies are offering their STBs for the same price – Rs 2,499. Since they both are Android STBs and come for the same price, it can be hard for people to choose one. Thus I am listing all the major specs of these Android STBs so that making a decision for you can become easy.

Airtel Xstream Box Specifications/Features

The Airtel Xstream Box runs on Android TV 9 platform. Since it is an Android box, it comes with support for Google Assistant meaning users can give voice commands. Another cool thing about the Xstream Box is that it allows users to convert their smartphone into a remote or a gamepad. There is a built-in Chromecast so users can directly cast the screen of their phone on the TV. The Xstream Box can support both satellite TV and over-the-top (OTT) applications. With just a single tap of a button, users can switch between satellite TV content and OTT content. It can also support content playback in 4K quality.

dishSMRT HUB

The dishSMRT HUB is an Android TV box from Dish TV. This STB can also support both satellite TV content and OTT applications. Since it is an Android TV box, users can download and run applications from Google Play Store. The STB supports voice commands with the help of Google Assistant. Moreover, you can also control smart home devices with the help of the dishSMRT HUB. This Android TV box from Dish TV also comes with Chromecast support. This means even Dish TV users can stream the content on their smartphones directly on the TV.

Which One Should You Choose?

At the end of the day, if you have to choose between these two boxes, the better bet for you would be to go with a box that offers better channel packs. If you are already subscribed to the DTH service from either of these companies, it would be better for you to continue with that company only. Because then you won't have to change your channel pack and you will feel very familiar with the service. However, if you have a postpaid connection from Airtel, just go for the Airtel Xstream Box because you will be able to club the services and pay a single bill for them.

iPhone 13 Might Be More Expensive Than Apple Planned

Posted: 27 Aug 2021 01:34 AM PDT

The Apple iPhone 13 series is expected to launch next month. There are a lot of rumours about the device already in the market, and some specifications suggest that Apple might make major hardware changes to its upcoming iPhones. Many analysts and market experts had assumed or speculated that Apple would price the iPhone 13 series near the iPhone 12 series price. But that might not happen. While Apple is known for charging a premium on its smartphones, this time, the reason behind extra pricing is not that it is something else.

iPhone 13 Series Might Be Expensive, Here's Why

The iPhone 13 series might be very expensive than what people had assumed it would be because of the rise in manufacturing costs. While the chipset shortage is hardly going to affect Apple, there are still other components that the company needs, which are getting scarce day by day. The supply routes have been affected for manufacturing companies around the world which has led to an inevitable increase in the cost of production. To recover the costs and maintain the profit margin that Apple used to get on its iPhones, the company might price its iPhone 13 series higher than what it had initially planned. The iPhone 13 series devices are going to be manufactured with components that are high in quality, and Apple won't mind passing that cost on the shoulder of its customers. According to a DigiTimes report, Apple is going to price its iPhone 13 series higher because the company will have to pay extra costs for the A15 Bionic that is manufactured by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. TSMC is all set to increase the cost of its chipsets by up to 5%, and this cost will be borne by Apple. Now, nothing's sure yet. Apple might not increase the price and reduce its profit margins on the iPhones, but that doesn't sound like Apple.

OnePlus Offering Free Battery Replacement In India

Posted: 27 Aug 2021 12:18 AM PDT

OnePlus is offering a free battery replacement to the users in India who own a OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T, OnePlus 5, OnePlus 5T, OnePlus 6, and OnePlus 6T. The development comes via a Mobile91 report which said a user on Reddit claimed that he/she got their OnePlus 5T battery replaced for free. But it wasn't entirely free; the user had to pay a service/labour charge of Rs 473 to the company. As per the publication, the reason why OnePlus is offering free battery replacement is that there are a lot of spare batteries for the smartphones mentioned above, which are in stock, and the company doesn't believe users are going to purchase them anymore.

OnePlus Free Battery Replacement Not Happening Online

Mobile91 reviewed the post of the Reddit user and said the free battery replacement benefit is only offered to the users who are walking into an official OnePlus service center in India. The same offer is not available online. However, users can also request for online replacement of the batteries at a 50% discount that the company is offering at the moment. Since OnePlus doesn't expect that users will spend their money on purchasing batteries of the above mentioned old smartphones, the company is charging a small labour fee and replacing it without any cost for the users. The OnePlus 3 series devices are now 5 years old, while the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 6 series devise are 4 and 3 years old, respectively. With time, batteries age, and their efficiency go down. Thus, this is a golden opportunity for the users who own either of the devices to get the batteries of their smartphones' changed. It might bring the overall experience back to the same for the users. As mentioned above, this isn't a pick-up and drop service. Users will have to walk in at the official store of the company to get the offer.

BSNL Offering One Free Bharat Air Fiber Connection

Posted: 26 Aug 2021 11:16 PM PDT

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is offering one free Bharat Air Fiber connection to its franchisees, who are normally referred to as Radio Broadband Service Provider (RBSP). The state-run telco will be offering a free 40 Mbps plan with the connection to the eligible franchisees. But not any franchisee can get a free connection from the company. For becoming eligible for this offer from BSNL, the Bharat Air Fiber franchisees will have to provide at least 50 FTTH connections. If there's a franchise that has already provided more than 50 FTTH connections until now, it will automatically become eligible for the offer.

BSNL Free Bharat Air Fiber Connection Offer Details

As per a KeralaTelecom report, BSNL said it would be providing a free demo of Bharat Air Fiber connection with the Airfiber Basic Plus plan that offers 40 Mbps speed and costs Rs 699 to each office of the eligible Air Fiber channel partner who has provisioned a minimum of 50 broadband connections. Note that this demo connection can only be used by BSNL franchisees for testing purposes. The franchisees are not allowed to sell the demo connection to anyone. For the demo connection, BSNL won't be issuing any bills.

What Is BSNL Bharat Air Fiber Connection?

The fiber connections and terrestrial network can't be provided in very rural areas because of less population and no economic advantage; people living in such areas can't access basic digital tools to enhance their quality of life. To bridge the digital gap between such areas and the rest of India, BSNL announced the Bharat Air Fiber service. Under this service, BSNL utilises the unlicensed Wi-Fi spectrum to provide internet. It is completely wireless, so the users living in rural areas can also get consistent internet services. The company offers Bharat Air Fiber services starting at Rs 499 per month. BSNL will also offer the service where its rural towers are present, but there is no FTTH presence.

Reliance Jio Going All-In On Smartphone Business

Posted: 26 Aug 2021 08:49 PM PDT

Reliance Jio is the only telecom operator in India current which sells 4G phones to its users. The company is going to come out with a new 4G smartphone as well. But according to some developments, Jio is not going to stop here. The company is planning to expand its smartphone business with the help of other smartphone players, including Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi, Samsung, HMD Global (Nokia), iTel and other companies, to get to the 500 million customer base as soon as possible. According to an ET Telecom report, Reliance Jio will partner with these smartphone manufacturing companies to bring 'Jio Exclusive' or 'Locked-in' smartphones. There could be many bundled offers that could come with these smartphones, such as screen replacement, digital services, or zero cost EMI, and more.

Reliance Jio Also Working to Expand Offline Retail Presence

Reliance Jio is also working on expanding its presence in the offline retail market. The company is partnering with offline retailers and offering them 'Jio Mini point' POS devices. These POS devices from Jio will help retailers in selling Jio exclusive smartphones with offers and special discounts. Retailers who refuse to get this POS device won't be able to provide their customers with the special discounts or offers that Jio is giving. The company is going all-in on its smartphone business. It is also installing displays inside retail stores, which will help in giving demos of the company's products and boost the sales for retailers. This new partnership with the retailers will also be leveraged by the company for selling the JioPhone Next. The new smartphones and expanding retail presence will help Jio is adding new customers for sure. Further, it will help the company in pushing 2G/3G subscribers to shift to 4G networks which is the longer vision of Ambani's telecom company. It will be interesting to see which smartphones Jio launches in the next few months with the said companies.

Airtel, Jio, BSNL Broadband Plans for Heavy Data Users

Posted: 26 Aug 2021 06:47 PM PDT

The fiber broadband market in India has become majorly of three operators namely Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). While there are other internet service providers (ISPs) providing plans which are competitive to the plans offered by the above three service providers, they are hardly present PAN-India. Today, we are going to look at the broadband plans offered by Airtel, Jio, and BSNL which are appropriate for heavy data users.

Airtel Xstream Fiber Plans Good for Heavy Data Users

Airtel Xstream Fiber offers a Rs 799 and Rs 999 plan to the users. These plans are apt for heavy data usage. While the users can also go for the 300 Mbps plan that costs Rs 1,499, it wouldn't make a lot of difference for many users. Most of the users can comfortably get their job done with the Rs 799 (100 Mbps) and Rs 999 (200 Mbps) plans. These plans come with 3.3TB fair-usage-policy (FUP) data for the month and also offer users a free landline connection with unlimited voice calling. There are additional Airtel Thanks benefits including a free subscription to Airtel Xstream, Wynk Music, Shaw Academy, and more.

JioFiber Plans Good for Heavy Data Users

JioFiber also offers almost the same plans like that of Airtel. JioFiber's 100 Mbps plan comes for Rs 699 which is Rs 100 cheaper than Airtel. However, its Rs 999 plan offers 150 Mbps speed which is lesser than that what Airtel provides for the same price. JioFiber users get 3.3TB data for the month with both the plans and are also entitled to receive a free landline connection from the company along with a free Set-Top Box (STB). Users also get 15 OTT benefits with the Rs 999 plan that offers 150 Mbps speeds.

BSNL Bharat Fibre Plans Good for Heavy Data Users

BSNL Bharat Fibre users can go for the Rs 799 and Rs 999 plans as well. Both these plans are almost identical to what Airtel offers. With the Rs 799 plan users get 100 Mbps speed and with the Rs 999 plan, users get 200 Mbps speed. There's an OTT benefit of Disney+ Hotstar Premium bundled with the Rs 999 plan of the company. Users receive 3.3TB of data for a month with both the plans. Further, BSNL also offers a free landline connection to the users with both plans. These are two plans that can help the majority of the market with their heavy data needs as they all come with 3.3TB of data in a month and offer sufficient speeds.

TRAI Suggests Licensing Framework for Satellite Based Connectivity

Posted: 26 Aug 2021 12:56 PM PDT

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently released its recommendations on the "Licensing Framework" for satellite-based connectivity for low-bit rate applications. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had earlier asked the sector regulator to come out with a list of recommendations on the licensing framework so that the provisioning of satellite-based connectivity for low-bit rate applications can be enabled. The DoT wanted a licensing framework for both captive and commercial usage of the satellite connectivity.

Understanding Low-Bit Rate Applications

Before we jump into what the recommendations from DoT are, we should understand what are low-bit-rate applications. The low-bit-rate applications are sensor-based applications that are used in Internet of Things (IoT), vehicle management, traffic management, ATMs, etc. The advantage of low-bit rate applications with satellite connectivity is that even in the rural and remote regions of the country where terrestrial networks aren't present, network connectivity can be ensured with the help of satellites. This will help the government in making smart cities throughout the country. TRAI Recommendations on Licensing Framework for Satellite-Based Connectivity for Low-Bit Rate Applications According to an ET Telecom report, the TRAI has recommended that all satellite frequency bands should be used to provide low-bit rate connectivity for satellite connectivity applications. As per TRAI, the relevant service licensees looking to offer satellite bass connectivity for IoT and low-bit rate applications can provide connectivity as per the scope of their authorisation for any kind of network topology model including direct-to-satellite model, aggregator model, and hybrid model. TRAI has also asked the telecom department to set up an online portal that will facilitate the easy and simple process for the companies to seek approval and permissions for providing satellite communications services in India. These recommendations for the sector regulator will economically benefit the nation a ton as areas that don't have terrestrial network connectivity will get to have some form of connectivity with the help of satellite internet.

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